ASHEVILLE — Buncombe County won't release records related to gift card purchases, saying the information requested in September by the Citizen-Times cannot be disclosed because of "an ongoing criminal investigation."

The county responded late Tuesday, seven weeks after the public records request was filed by the Citizen-Times. Officials also released requested financial information and communications related to recent economic development and construction projects.

County attorney Michael Frue, who has been handling public records requests since the summer, said Buncombe "must withhold public disclosure of any such information at this time as this involves an ongoing criminal investigation." He cited state law that exempts records of criminal investigations and criminal intelligence information that were compiled by public law enforcement agencies.

The denial comes almost three months after federal officials confirmed that Greene and others were under investigation. Details have not been disclosed; the U.S. attorney's office called it a law enforcement matter and county officials have been directed to not speak about the investigation with news media.

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Then-Buncombe County Manager Wanda Greene listens in at a county commissioners meeting June 7, 2016.(Photo: File photo)

That's posed a challenge for the county as it works to regain public trust. Last month, staff released salary information that showed more than $1.4 million was given among 10 employees under a so-called retention incentive program. Greene gave the incentives at her discretion, though they were approved by commissioners when it was included in the 2016 budget ordinance.

The salary records also revealed hefty bonuses and other additional pay that inflated the salaries of some of the already highest-paid employees, including Greene herself.

Greene retired this summer after two decades as the county's top administrator. She made more than $500,000 in her last six months of work, according to public employee records.

Greene's relatives who worked for the county also benefited. Her son, Michael Greene, received performance bonuses on top of his $120,350 annual salary; he resigned from his business intelligence manager position the day the investigation was confirmed.

A sister, Irene Wolfe, received a $104,145 retention incentive and other bonuses. Records show that less than a week after the Greene investigation was confirmed, Wolfe took a voluntary reassignment that slashed her pay to $75,650, about $30,000 less than her previous salary.

Officials have declined to say whether the salary records are related to the investigation.

Since news of the investigation broke, county commissioners have eliminated the retention incentives, clamped down on bonuses, strengthened the role of the internal auditor and boosted whistleblower policies.

Buncombe County denied another public records request by the Citizen-Times, when it asked for a copy of any litigation hold notice issued amid the Greene investigation.

The U.S. attorney's office said when it confirmed the investigation that it had asked the county to put a "litigation hold on all county materials pertaining to this matter," essentially directing officials to preserve records that could become a part of the investigation and preventing them from being disclosed publicly.

Frue said late last month that "any such document may be considered as part of the investigation."